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The most beautiful retreat center and spa

I visited this place several times with friends , family and groups - heavenly experience. Such a pleasant place with all facilities , nice and clean rooms , healthy food. Kids enjoyed a lot in summer vacation as well in Christmas. Visited several places around the blue ridge mountain ranges.

Stayed: December 2013, travelled with family

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Ask TarakSoni about Shankara Ayurveda Spa

1 Thank TarakSoni

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

We visited Boone for a weekend and stayed at this property after a friend's suggestion. this is not your typical hotel - we stayed in the Zambezi building which is one of dozen residential buildings on the sprawling campus of the Art of Living Center - a California-style spiritual retreat with an emphasis on yoga, meditation, etc. The isolated campus is located on a hill top, 4-5 miles out of the city. The mountain views from our room were spectacular and I recommend staying on-site just for the view. Our floor in the building had a common spacious kitchen with a cook top, full size refrigerator, sink and microwave. I remember seeing a laundry room on one of the 3 floors as well. I did not see elevators so plan on using stairs if you are in a room on the 2nd or 3rd floors.

The people managing the property are super nice. The property has a community dining area a 2 minute walk from the Zambezi building that serves buffet style meals for flat rates of $10, $15 and $20 per person for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food choice on the buffet is very limited but food is quality, organic and locally sourced. We tried 1 dinner meal, which was okay but did not find it of value at $20 per person. There are better choices in the city but you have to drive down a solid 5 plus miles on winding country roads to get anywhere.

The room rate was steep ($250 plus) if you book the room via the Blue Heaven Spa website because they bundle all meals with the room rate. We were able to book just the room via expedia for half that price.

Overall I recommend the place as long as you understand that this is not your typical full service resort but more of a B&B and part of a idyllic spiritual retreat with a serene and majestic location.

I was so impressed with the reviews and photos. We were really looking forward to this retreat experience. We only booked a room, and did not try the massages due to the ridiculousness in pricing. Such as $50 for 30 minutes and $110 for 60 minutes. That doesn't make sense. The room we got was clean and the bed was comfortable. It looked nothing like the photos. The dining area was not a comfortable walking distance. There was no place outside to sit and read or meditate. Frankly, there was no place inside for that either. When I asked about these things, I was told they were working on them all. I wondered why we were paying full price for a hotel in progress. People were very nice, but offered little in solutions. The cost rationale was that they are planning to raise the prices so the 30 and 60 minutes are equitable. Then there was a fire alarm that went off very early the second morning. Thank goodness it was a false one, but no one bothered to tell us this. We all went outside. When there was no smoke or sirens other than the blasting of their fire alarm, we all mosied back in. Poor communication. I think it is over rated, difficult to find, not particularly special compared to other places that are described similarly, and a facade. Glad others had a nice experience, but mine was not impressive. I cannot recommend it when there are so many exceptional places in the area.

Stayed: May 2014, travelled as a couple

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Ask honeypieTwinCities about Shankara Ayurveda Spa

4 Thank honeypieTwinCities

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Andrew K, Public Relations Manager at Shankara Ayurveda Spa, responded to this reviewResponded 29 June 2014

I appreciate your feedback. We are working to improve the property and have added outdoor seating next to the labyrinth and the fountain areas. We hope you also enjoy the meditation room or one of the many indoor spaces dedicated to reflection and meditation if you visit again.

Report response as inappropriateThank you. We appreciate your input.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Stayed here last weekend for a Yoga retreat. The beds were super comfy, very soft beds nice & plush. Could not figure out if the room had AC or not, we used the ceiling fan and kept the windows open the majority of the time. Complimentary shampoo, conditioner and body wash, plus robes and slippers. Very roomy, we had two double beds, small fridge, a desk and a large closet. Plenty of room for two women who over packed! :) The staff was very nice, Paul was a pleasure to work with.

We stayed on the second floor in room 208. We had a view of the parking lot. I would recommend asking for a room with the view of the mountains if possible. The hotel also has a small gym with all the main equipment and weights, a nice "tea" room with fresh fruit and water. It is a bit far from the Art of Living retreat center, if you are taking any meditation/yoga classes, I would not recommend walking if you are in a hurry. It's a pretty long walk (although quite scenic).

The third floor are the massage rooms. Ask for Debra! She was very sweet and gave a wonderful massage! Enjoy your time in the main room, the view is amazing!

Room Tip: Ask for a room on the top floor with a view of the mountains.

Stayed: April 2014, travelled with friends

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Ask Ferrickhead28 about Shankara Ayurveda Spa

2 Thank Ferrickhead28

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Stayed here on the second night of our honeymoon trip up the blue ridge parkway, enjoyed our night immensely and wish we had more time to experience everything they have to offer. Rain hampered our views until nearly checkout time, but once it cleared it up it was worth it for that alone, We had a very peaceful and lovely night here.

Stayed: April 2014, travelled as a couple

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Ask Mirage276 about Shankara Ayurveda Spa

1 Thank Mirage276

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

"Blue Heaven" was just that, a liitle piece of heaven. One of the most relaxing places we have ever stayed. Our room was roomy ,comfortable bed with A+ bedding, windows open to the a spectacular view of Blue Ridge mountains. We slept like babies as the breeze blew through. Staff was kind and accommodating.We also attended the meditation session,it was wonderful.We were so rested and relaxed, we needed a break from all things and got that and more. Definitely will be back for a longer stay! There is also an Earthfare in Boone. We stopped and brought our snacks and dinner there so we could enjoy in our room and would not have to come off the Mountain.

Room Tip: Mountain view on 2nd floor

Stayed: April 2014, travelled as a couple

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Ask charlene o about Shankara Ayurveda Spa

4 Thank charlene o

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC